The Espada's Boy
by ArchangelKo
Summary: Alternate version of Bleach. Masaki Kurosaki was a vasto lorde, a fact she kept secret from Isshin. When the time was right she got her subordinate, Grand-Fisher, to fake her and Ichigo's death, and then gave Ichigo to 3rd Espada Nel to make him a Fraccio
1. Chapter 1

((Hey! Welcome to my Bleach fanfic.

Let me just get one thing out of the way. Since this is an alternate version of Bleach, details will be different. Some things will be changed, since this story is entirely alternate. I assure you, characters will not really change. There will be some changes in background, but personalities will pretty much remain intact. They wouldn't be the characters we know and love, otherwise!

Also, although this is my own version of Bleach, I am not claiming that the characters, actual story, settings, etc are mine.

So before you start writing a comment on how I got something wrong, please remember that this is not exactly the Bleach you know. (I might make tiny mistakes here or there, please excuse them) Nonetheless, I hope that you enjoy it.

This was an idea/request given to me by BrazeRancor, here on fanfiction! They gave a basic idea, I formulating an in-depth plot.

Thank you BrazeRancor for the awesome request, and I hope you enjoy reading this.

Chapter 1, Commence!))

…

…

Ichigo blocked the blow with Zangetsu. The clash of metal sounded throughout the clearing.

"_Let's take the long way home, Ichigo."_

"_But mommy, it's starting to rain…"_

He dodged the next attack in a fluid movement, shielding his eyes from the dirt kicked up by his opponent. He nearly didn't see the next advance that came from above!

Ichigo jumped back, using his blade as a shield. The tip of the advancing blade slid down Zangetsu, making a sound similar to nails on a chalkboard. He stepped backwards with a cringe, trying to spot an attack coming from the air-born dirt his challenger used as a screen.

"_Ah!" A car sped by through a puddle, splashing mucky water right onto him._

"_Oh my, oh my, what a bad truck. Are you okay, Ichigo?" She pulled a cloth out of her pocket and began to wipe his face. "Sorry. Here, let's switch. I'll walk on the roadside._

"_It's okay! I'll stay on this side. I'm wearing a raincoat, so I'll be fine!"_

_Masaki smiled. In a few minutes, it the discomfort wouldn't matter. He wouldn't feel it anymore._

There! Ichigo moved to dodge a stab, and swung Zangetsu in the direction that the attack came from. The attacker disappeared again, and the dust was clearing up.

Concentrate, Ichigo, concentrate…

"_Why are we stopping. …Mommy?" He tugged on her skirt._

"_We're waiting for someone. A friend of mine."_

"… _Okay." He smiled up at her as they both shared the umbrella._

He honed his focus, and closed his eyes. It was getting closer… Closer…

He swung around holding Zangetsu in front of him. Sword hit sword, and sparks flew!

Suddenly, his opponent was a shadow, and flew to the side. Ichigo kept his guard up, ready for whatever was thrown at him next. Things were getting serious. He should start trying to take offense. But…

"_Look out! Run!" Ichigo panicked as that humongous, masked monster leered at them. His mom didn't pay attention to the monster with an Angler-fish type lure protruding from his forehead._

"_Shhh, It's okay, Ichigo. Calm down." She seemed calm._

_He was rigid, unable to take his eyes off of the threatening entity._

"_Do you trust mommy, Ichigo?"_

It was time to try giving his attacker a taste of their own medicine. He swung his blade around, dragging it in the dirt and dust. He prayed that Zangetsu wouldn't be angry with him. The strange man didn't ever speak a word to him anyways, but he always delivered a scathing glare to his wielder. As if Ichigo was doing something wrong.

Now he had his own smokescreen. Keeping his eyes squinted, Ichigo kept moving through the haze of dust. Then he saw it. The sillouhette of his challenger through the dirt.

"_That's right, keep your eyes closed. Just like that. It's okay, Ichigo. Mommy is here." She held his hand as he shivered in fear from the sound of the monster's breath. But mommy said everything was fine. It was fine._

"_Please, make it a fast one." Ichigo heard his mother whisper, though she wasn't talking to him._

"_Sympathy? From the 2nd? My, I'm surprised." The thing sneered._

He took a humongous swing through the dirt screen. All or nothing!

Ichigo felt resistance, as if Zangetsu had struck home. But that feeling suddenly disappeared, as did the shadow. The sword was cutting through nothing but air now.

A blade was pressed up to his throat from his opponent standing behind him. Everything was silent as the air cleared again.

"Good, good," the voice praised him. "You actually took a really good swing there."

Ichigo was released. He took a step forward, then hesitantly turned around to face his opponent.

"I've been telling you all along now to switch from defense to offense. Defending yourself won't get you anywhere in a real battle," Neliel laughed.

"Well maybe if you gave me the chance to attack I would," he muttered under his breath.

"I will not tolerate defiance!" The aqua-haired Espada scolded, lightly smacking him across the back of the head. She didn't really mean it, since she wore the same-old warm smile. As always.

Ichigo 'hmphed' to the side. He almost had her. On second thought, yeah right. She was the 3rd Espada. He had no chance of beating her at all. Ichigo was extremely strong for a 13-year-old boy Arrancar, but not that strong.

Maybe one day he would be. That's why Neliel was chosen to be his teacher. She was the perfect mentor for Masaki's offspring. One day, he would be allowed to see his mom more than once every blue moon. He wouldn't have to wait for her to come see him anymore.

"_I'm right here with you, Ichigo. Don't worry."_

_Pain shot through the 9-year-old's body as something pierced his back through his chest. He gasped, but kept his eyes closed. It was okay. Mommy said it was okay._

_He fell down at his mother's feet, his life ebbing away. Ichigo felt his warm blood pool around him as he gasped for air. It hurt so badly… This was all a bad dream, wasn't it?'_

"Na, Ichigo, I'm hungry! Let's go get lunch," Neliel complained, stretching her arms behind her head with a yawn.

"You said we were training today! Come on, I was so close, dammit!" He was angry.

"Pesche is probably wondering where I am," she whined to no one. She had already started walking back to Las Noches palace out of Menos Grande.

"Hey! You're not even listening to me!" Ichigo looked around nervously at the barren desert wasteland for a second. He then ran after his teacher, shouting, "Wait for me!!"

"_This is your home Ichigo. Welcome to Las Noches." Masaki smirked, standing by her son outside of the main door._


	2. Chapter 2

((Hey! Welcome to Chapter 2! Sorry it took a while, I was still banging out some ideas and fitting the puzzle pieces together, with the help of teh awesome Brazerancor.

But I should be able to update more often now.

Also, I'm going to try and do some illustrations for this fanfic. I'll let you know when I get those up on my deviantart page.

Anyways, here's the next chapter, please R&R (no, not rest and relaxation). Commence!))

"I'm getting close to something. I can feel it," Ichigo said to Pesche. They walked down one of the halls, Ichigo absentmindedly scratching the red stripes on his right cheek.

"You are distant today, again," Pesche responded. "You barely spoke a word at lunch."

"Yeah… I know… I just think that there's more that I can do. Like there something better than I'm capable of," he explained.

"Heh heh heh," the hollow let out with a grin. "You worry master Neliel sometimes."

"I don't mean to… Although… I am happy that she actually cares about me. Well, us. But I can't help but wonder," Ichigo said, trailing off.

"Wonder what?"

"… What if I had been put under the training of a harsher Espada? Would I have learned more by now by someone with a tougher attitude?"

"Don't think of that!" Pesche went into protective mode over Neliel. "Master Nel is one of the best for you to learn from! Don't doubt her, Ichigo!"

"Sorry, sorry. It isn't a very nice thought about someone who's been so good to me," he admitted, feeling a bit guilty. Ichigo lagged a bit behind his fellow Fraccion.

"You must have patience. Whatever you are close to, you will achieve soon. I watch you grow more and more as your spiritual pressure grows. And you have gotten much taller since that long time ago."

As they continued along their way, Pesche noticed the lack of Ichigo's footsteps that had been following him. He turned around to see why the boy had stopped.

The emotion had left from Ichigo's face, as his eyes went blank. He didn't move an inch as he stared at the floor.

Pesche went back to stand in front of him, and hesitantly waved a hand in front of Ichigo's face. "Hello? Ichigo?"

He gained no response.

"… Oh, right," Pesche thought aloud. "It's around that time, huh?"

…

"I will not fight you," Nel calmly said.

"Are you such a coward? I expected more from the 3rd Espada," Nnoitra mocked in a condescending tone.

"I prefer not to fight among my fellow Arrancar. We are both Espada, are we not? Why fight? What's the point?" she asked, but not really searching for an answer. She knew that she would not pull the right reply from Nnoitra. This whole encounter was pointless, just like the many times he had pulled her aside before.

"This is a waste of my time," Neliel scoffed, flipping her hair back over her shoulder. She was tired of this. For most people, not encouraging this sort of behavior would do the trick. Well, it was worth a shot. "I was just on my way to lunch with my Fraccion. If you'll excuse me…"

Neliel turned around to leave. She was pretty sure that he would not risk getting in trouble by fighting her.

A grin as wide as the Cheshire Cat's grew across Nnoitra's face. "You're Fraccion? Those weak Hollows and that young boy? I suppose that if you coddle them enough, they're bound to get anywhere."

He knew he struck a nerve as he watched the 3rd Espada freeze in her tracks. He continued, "I guess as long as you have connections, you don't have to be strong in Las Noches. I wonder if they would fight as well as you do. Judging on how many times you run away from me, they probably lay on the ground in fear. Worse than running."

"Cease your incessant grievances," Neliel commanded him, turning her head. "I will not listen to this. You may insult me, but not my friends."

"I can actually get away with criticizing them. No one will stop me. Right, Neliel?"

At the last straw, Nel drew her sword, and stood in a ready stance for whatever he would try.

"Come on, I'm an Espada. Why the sword? Summon your lance if you want any shot of killing me," he taunted.

"You are worth neither my energy nor a death by my blade. I seek only to silence you!" Neliel rushed at Nnoitra as he readied his _Santa_ _Teresa_ for combat.

She disappeared using Sonido, reappearing behind Nnoitra. Before she could press her blade to his throat in attempt for a checkmate, he parried her sword out of the way. Nnoitra took a few steps back in one fluid motion.

Neliel followed his movement through narrow, concentrating eyes. She got ready to defend. Now she attempted her first blow, she knew he would be the main offense now.

Sure enough, she was rushed by her opponent. She tilted her sword beside her head. As Nnoitra grew within one and a half steps within her area, Neliel quickly thrust the tip of her blade upward underneath his descending double-crescent axe. She was able to hold it in place, allowing her to make a swift kick to his shin.

Nnoitra dodged in a side step, and punched her square in the stomach. Neliel jumped backwards, gasping to reclaim her breath.

He was just a cat playing with mouse before eating it.

But then again, so was she.

In an even faster movement than before, Neliel reclaimed offense in a run towards Nnoitra. In a flurry of swings, she directed her blade at his vitals. But she attacked in such a way that as soon as she was able to break through his parries, she could direct the sword so it would only disable him, not kill him.

He was good, even though he was a lower number Espada than her.

Though Neliel knew that she wouldn't need her lance.

This fight was stroking his ego so far, an effect that Neliel as going for. He would be too full of himself to realize she was leagues ahead of him.

As soon as she gave him enough false confidence by being 'unable' to land a strike on him, Neliel called upon her Sonido again.

As the world seemed to slow down, Neliel crouched down towards the ground more, and slide her leg out in front of her, around Nnoitra's side. She threw her weight forward onto that leg and pivoted. She took the longer way to rotate in order to ready her sword.

Knowing what she was aiming for, Neliel completed her turn for the sword to immediately be plunged across his shoulder. The shoulder connected to the arm which held his crescent axe.

All of this was in the blink of an eye. At the most, two blinks.

Blood spurted up from the open wound, then reduced to heavy flowing. Nnoitra kept a hold on his weapon, but wasn't able to fight anymore.

Neliel sheathed her sword calmly. She barely broke a sweat.

"Kill me," Nnoitra growled.

"Why would I do that?"

"You beat me in a battle! End my humiliation of losing to a female!"

Neliel smiled to herself, as his male superiority feelings she knew to be true came out. Nnoitra had pretty much confirmed her theory.

"As I said previously, I sought to silence, not kill," Neliel responded, waving her hand as if the issue was in the air and in need of dispersing. "Please do not speak lightly of my Fraccion again."

Neliel walked away, not allowing her opponent say anything in return.

Nnoitra grimaced in pure hatred. He needed to finish this. His main arm was useless as the moment, but if he could manage a surprise attack… His other arm would suffice.

…

"Aw, I blanked out again," Ichigo angrily sighed. "I need to find out why that happens, and stop it."

Pesche only nodded in return, not saying anything. He swore to keep silent, and that was what he would do. What he would continue to do.

"Neliel missed lunch," Ichigo remembered. "We should probably find her before she gets all whiney and stuff. How annoying…"

"I'm going to tell her what you just said," Pesche threatened with a devious smile.

"N-no! No you won't!" Ichigo panicked as Pesche laughed.

He loved teasing the kid.

"Oi! Over here," Nielel called out as she turned a corner up ahead. "Ichigoooo!! Peeeeesche!! I'm hungry…"

"Too late," Ichigo muttered to the side.

"It's not too late," Pesche reassured her.

"Hee hee, it's never too late to eat," she responded with a childish smile. Neliel stayed in place as the boys grew closer. They were heading in the right direction of one of the kitchens. She would simply change direction as they got close enough.

"Where have you been?" Pesche asked.

"Eh, settling some issue. It's done," she simply explained. That was the signal that it shouldn't be mentioned again.

They all walked away together.

Suddenly, Ichigo paused. He felt something coming towards them from where Neliel had turned around. It was coming fast.

In one swift movement, Ichigo drew his sword from his back, stepped so he was facing away from Nel, and held the blade as a shield.

As he expected, metal collided with metal! Nnoitra growled as his one shot was pretty much blown.

As Ichigo's sword deflected the attack, he quickly said, "Cero!" From his free hand, he shot a blast of energy at the Espada.

Nnoitra backed off before it could hit him.

"Ichigo, no!" Neliel tried to stop him. Pasche cut her off.

"He's close to reaching something," he said. "Can't you feel it?"

"Don't dare lay a hand on my master while I'm around!" Ichigo threatened. "And how could you attack her from behind, like some coward?!"

Nnoitra now saw red.

"I feel something, but he couldn't get it while we were training. How will he get it now?" Neliel started to draw her sword.

"Give him a minute."

"Against a high level Espada?!"

Adrenaline was pumping through Nnoitra's veins now. He had enough of Neliel and all the troubles that constantly annoyed his mind. "You'll pay for that, boy!"

They started to fight, Ichigo calling upon all that is master had taught him. To his dismay, he seemed to be stuck in the defensive mode. Nnoitra held offense consistently. Despite the shoulder wound on his opponent, he seemed super-charged with murderous intent.

Though, adrenaline could only get him so far. Both sides knew that. But Ichigo was determined to take down this guy. He wasn't stupid. He knew how Nnoitra hated Neliel, and how often he tried to start fights no matter what the consequences.

Rage and purpose drove Ichigo to fight harder. Neliel and Pesche sensed his spiritual power increasing and thickening the air.

Of course, Nnoitra sensed it too. He had one more card hidden up his sleeve. A secret that might give him back the element of surprise.

With his last bits of energy, Nnoitra got up close to Ichigo with the grin of the devil on his face. "I won't get in trouble," he whispered, though it was a bit louder than intended. "I'm only carrying out Aizen's plans ahead of schedule. Never too early, eh?"

Ichigo's step faltered, and his eyes widened. _Aizen?_ he thought.

He lost focus for a few seconds. But it was enough time for Nnoitra.

Ichigo let out a gasp, and the hall, previously filled with sounds of conflict, went silent.

With a large cough of blood, Ichigo angrily looked up at the 5th Espada, who have rammed the points of his weapon through Ichigo's stomach and chest. The color of crimson red quickly started to dye his white uniform as his blood spread.

He had the look of revenge in his eyes. Nnoitra dismissed it. The boy was as good as dead.

Ichigo swooned, roughly falling to the ground as his attacker ran off.

"Stop!" Ichigo heard Pesche shout.

"Never mind him, get a medic! Hurry," Neliel shouted after Pesche, who was running off already.

As everything was blurry, Ichigo felt someone sit beside him. The person carefully lifted his head so she should hold his shoulders in her arms.

"… Mom?" he managed to ask in a hoarse voice. The blood burned his throat from saying one simple word.

"No, Ichigo. It's Neliel. It's Nel," she tenderly said with a lot of remorse in her voice. "Hold on. You'll be okay. You should be fine… Just stay with me."

Everything went black as he felt someone gently stroking his hair.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo… I'm so sorry… It's my fault…"

_No. It will not end like this. I won't let it._


	3. Chapter 3

((lol, sorry! I didn't remember that Nnoitra was the 8th Espada first. Thanks for bringing that to my attention, guys! If I get the chance, I'll go back and correct that. From now on, I'll get that right.

It's funny, I'm on vacation in New York at the moment, but I'm doing nothing… It's a good thing that I brought my mobile command (aka laptop) with me. I'm getting plenty of work done.

So here's the next chapter! I think at this point, there are only a few parts of the storyline I'm working on. It's pretty much ready to be written! Thanks for your current, and possibly future, support.

Commence! Hi-ya!))

…

"Ichigo! Ichigo!" Dondochakka attempted to squeeze in through the almost-too-narrow doorway of Ichigo's room, bawling his multi-faceted eyes out. "Ichigooooooo!"

"Quiet," Pesche hissed, pulling on his companion's mask to get him in the room faster. "He's asleep."

The two fell silent, as they closed the door behind the crying Hollow. Ichigo had been laid in his low-to-the-ground bed, after having his wounds cleaned and dressed. Neliel continued to lean back against the opposite wall, with one hand up to her chin to signify her state of deep thought.

The room was very plain, nothing special. It simply had a bed, a relatively comfortable chair, and a dresser to hold his clothes. It was small, due the fact that he was just a subordinate, but he never spent much time in his room anyways.

Neliel made no motion to acknowledge Dondochakka's presence. The stillness was very discomforting. Pesche stood still in place, waiting for his master to say something.

Dondochakka quietly got closer to Ichigo, to see if he was okay. After deciding that the boy would probably be fine, he pulled up the blanket closer to Ichigo's shoulders. After all, he wouldn't want him to catch cold.

"I blame myself for this," Neliel began to say, staying in the same position while looking away. Dondochakka jumped back, startled by the break in silence.

"No, it was not your fault," Pesche immediately responded.

"Not your fault at all," Dondochakka chimed even, despite the fact that he didn't know all the details of what happened.

"I should not have let him fight Nnoitra," she continued. Before her Fraccion could disagree again, Neliel continued, "But Nnoitra was completely out-of-line. It's making me very on-edge…"

Everything went quiet again. The Hollows kept quiet, unsure of whether or not they should speak up again.

"Did you hear what he said?" Neliel suddenly asked.

"Who? Ichigo?" Pesche asked. Dondochakka kept silent, since he didn't know what was going on.

"No. That bastard, Nnoitra," she answered.

"I was not able to catch it. He spoke too fast and too soft."

Neliel thought to herself again.

"… What did he say?" Dondochakka asked.

Pesche made a motion for him not to talk, but Neliel answered, "I did not catch every word. But I know he said something about Aizen. And a plan."

She hated the sound of it. He was already placing some of his favorite Arrancar among the Espada. There are more Privaron Espada than there ever have been. Neliel even got the feeling that the Vasto Lorde were restless. Even though she had connections to one of the strongest Vasto Lorde, she knew next to nothing. They barely ever showed their presence.

"_Ichigo, I want you to stay with this lady for now. Mommy has to go somewhere for a while."_

_Neliel watched Masaki, in her human form, bring a scared Ichigo up to the gates of Las Noches. He was so young… It hurt to see a small child be thrown around for unknown purposes._

_He already lost his Hollow mask, whether Masaki did it herself or instructed him to. Only the red stripes on his cheek remained._

_Neliel felt like she was getting into something that she shouldn't. But Masaki requested Neliel Tu Oderschvank herself. There was a sense of pride in that, despite the fact that Ichigo's origins were going to kept a secret in Hueco Mundo. And a sense of fear._

_Neliel could not back out. Masaki guided her child up to her with uncharacteristically motherly tenderness._

_The 3rd Espada knew just how shallow that emotion was. But whomever Masaki wanted to fool, Maski had the ability to do so. She had him enraptured, along with whatever poor family she had used._

_Hesitantly, the little boy reached for Neliel's hand. His mother smiled._

"_Mommy will come see you again. Don't worry, Ichigo." She planted a kiss on top of his head._

_As the Vasto Lorde went to pass Neliel, she whispered in a two-voiced, possessed tone with a scowl, "If he dies, you suffer."_

_Neliel knew what she meant. It didn't matter if he only survived through his training. He had to be strong enough to live through Masaki's personal plans, too._

"_H-hi…" Ichigo had looked up at Neliel._

_She warmly smiled. "Hello, young Ichigo. My name is Neliel."_

The 3rd Espada was snapped out of her reminiscence by the sound of Dondochakka crying again.

"Stop it," Pesche harshly whispered.

"But Ichigo is hurt! It makes me sad…"

Neliel felt an invisible stab in her chest as he said that. What she knew she had to do was going to be much harder than she thought.

"Ssshhh, you'll wake him up," Pesche continued, trying to calm down Dondochakka.

Neliel left her spot to stand beside them. With a forced smile, she said, "He needs rest. Especially for tomorrow…" She walked past them and through the door, without explaining.

"Tomorrow? What do you mean?" Pesche asked, following behind her. Dondochakka stalled, staring at the sleeping Ichigo nervously.

Pesche came back and pulled Dondochakka out after turning off the light, saying, "He does not need to be tucked in."


	4. Chapter 4

((Hi! Welcome to the next chapter! It's funny, people say I have short chapters, but on Microsoft Word, it's like 6 or 7 pages… Weird.

I'm working on some illustrations and stuff. When they're done, I'll post the links on my profile page here on fanfiction. But I'll also let you know in the next chapter or something, so you won't have to keep visiting my page to look for them.

Anyways, things are going to get interesting soon! This fanfic is going to be epic… I look forward to your comments and support!

(after writing this chapter note) God, this chapter was difficult to write… I don't know why.

Commence!))

…

Neliel stood outside of Las Noches, waiting for something. Standing behind her were Pesche and Dondochakka. Dondochakka was carefully cradling Ichigo in his arms. He was still asleep.

They had walked a bit away from Las Noches when they were sure no one would notice that they were gone. Now they stood on top of a sand dune in silence, with their home in the distance behind them.

Neliel had stayed silent most of the morning, only speaking to give Pesche and Dondochakka directions. The Hollows had no idea why they had left, and what their master's plan was.

Suddenly, the ground started to rumble underneath the group's feet. Neliel smiled to herself.

A huge worm-like Hollow burst through the sand right in front of them in a flash! It growled down at Neliel in an intimidating way as the sand fell off of its body. The Hollow knew that Ichigo was hurt, and seemed to believe that she was responsible.

"So you're Bawabawa," she said to it. "I've heard about you from my pupil, Ichigo."

It still looked a bit angry.

Neliel continued, "We need your help. We need you to take us far away from Las Noches, and fast. You probably don't trust strangers like me, but you trust Ichigo. That's understandable. But believe me when I say that we are helping him."

Bawabawa moved around Neliel to get closer to Ichigo and Dondochakka.

"Hello," Dondochakka greeted. "We've met once before. Do you remember me?" He still looked nervous, but he knew that Bawabawa was actually quite gentle.

Once in a while over the past few years, Ichigo would go to the desert of Hueco Mundo to get some alone time. He happened to meet Bawabawa one day, and they had been friends since then. Dondochakka met Ichigo's 'pet' after following him around for a day.

At first, Bawabawa didn't really like Dondochakka, but he warmed up to him after Ichigo made it clear that they were friends.

The giant creature grinned, recognizing him.

Dondochakka didn't know what Neliel was planning, but he knew that she would be doing what was best. "We need to get far from here, will you help us?" he asked.

Bawabawa nodded happily. Neliel smiled, glad to have another companion.

…

As they rode the worm Hollow through Hueco Mundo, Neliel thought to herself. Ichigo needed to get far away from Las Noches. If he stayed any longer, then something bad could happen to him, judging by their encounter with Nnoitra.

_Aizen's plan…_

She frowned to herself, hating the sound of those words. He was a threat to all the old Arrancar, with his ideals of change and control. Before he came, things were relatively peaceful. The Soul Society would make moves against the Arrancar, but things stayed in a delicate balance. Aizen could easily disrupt all of this.

"Stop here," Neliel finally said to Bawabawa.

He obliged, lowering his head so everyone could climb off. Pesche and Dondochakka awaited their master's next set of instructions.

She paused for a second, then asked Pesche hesitantly, "When was the last time that Ichigo fed?"

"Fed? Yesterday at lunch," he answered, a bit confused by her question.

"No. You know what I mean," she said, her expression growing a bit darker.

Pesche paused for a second, then admitted, "Yesterday. After lunch."

Neliel contemplated this. Usually he could go for about three weeks. But with this near-death experience, he might not be able to wait that long. This factor really worried her, but she knew that she would have to take the chance.

"Dondochakka, wake up Ichigo," Neliel commanded. She prepared to use garganta.

The Hollows didn't like where this was going, but they carefully went about waking the boy.

A few minutes later, the portal to the Living World was open, and Ichigo was roused from his sleep.

He looked up at Dondochakka, a bit annoyed. "Oi. What are you doing?"

"Ichigo, follow me," Neliel said without turning to look at him.

He noticed his surroundings, but didn't say anything as Pesche got him to stand up. Dondochakka coughed up Ichigo's sword and a bundle of clothes. He handed them to the boy, even though Ichigo looked utterly confused.

"Hurry," Neliel urged him, looking back a bit. Knowing not to ask questions, he followed her into the opening.

"What about Dondochakka and Pesche?" he asked.

"I only said 'Ichigo', not them."

Ichigo nervously looked over his shoulder back at his friends. They stood there, watching him go without waving goodbye or saying anything.

"What is going on?" Ichigo demanded to know, looking angry now.

Neliel didn't answer, but kept walking as he followed. Eventually, the portal led to the Living World.

Ichigo looked around in curiosity. It was very different than Las Noches. Were they even in Hueco Mundo anymore?

They walked out into a soccer field as the sun was beginning to rise. No one was up and about yet at this time.

"Ichigo, listen," Neliel suddenly said, turning to look at him.

He snapped out of his preoccupation with the new surroundings, now paying close attention to whatever explanation the 3rd Espada would give him.

"This is the world of the living. I haven't brought you here before, I know. But unfortunately, you have to stay here for a while."

"What?!"

"These are your new orders. You are to stay here. Change into the clothes that Dondochakka gave you, and go to this address." She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to him. It had some words and number scribbled on it. "When you get there, tell the owner that you need a 'gigai'. You escaped from the Soul Society for being blamed for a crime you did not commit. Do not tell anybody that you are from Hueco Mundo. You are a 'Soul Reaper'. After that, you have to try and blend in with the other people here. They are not like you and me. They don't have any special powers or fighting skills. Just watch and learn. Try to find a safe place to sleep, though I don't fear that you can't defend yourself. I should be back in a few days, if we're lucky."

Ichigo waited for her to say more. After he was sure she was done, he said, "Wait, I don't understand a thing you're saying! Nothing at all!"

"Just watch the people around you. Try to do what they do," she sighed. Neliel pulled a small bag of money out of her pocket, and also handed that to Ichigo. "You use these coins to pay for things, like food."

"I still don't get it. I don't understand where I am or why I'm here. Why can't I stay in Las Noches?" he demanded to know, getting very annoyed.

"I can't explain. I'm sorry. But trust me when I say it's for your own safety."

"… So are you saying I'm not strong enough to be in Las Noches? That since I lost to Nnoitra just this once, I'm not safe?"

"No-"

"He took me by surprise! I'm fine, I don't need to hide in some stupid new place! This is idiotic!!"

Neliel fell silent. She tensed up, and then yelled, "I'm your teacher! Your mother put you under my care, therefore you do what I say! You are going to stay here until I come back for you! Got it?"

Ichigo looked taken aback. She hadn't spoken to him like this before. He looked away then nodded. "Fine."

It hurt Neliel to do this more than he knew. She said, "Please, take care of yourself. I'm sorry that I'm dropping you off here when you're still really wounded. But don't worry, I'm doing this for a good reason." She walked past him and back to the portal before any Soul Reapers would come.

Ichigo looked down at the ground clenching his fist as she left. Neliel shed a tear as she closed the hole behind her.

…

Ichigo spent hours walking around the area. He was dressed in the new outfit, which looked almost the same as his old one. It was black, sort of the opposite of his normal clothes. It took him a while to change, since it hurt to move his torso.

He also found out that no one could see him. No matter how many times he asked passerby for help, no one would acknowledge him. It was so frustrating! Maybe this 'gigai' thing would help others see him.

Ichigo read the words and numbers on the paper, trying to make sense of it again.

_It's no use_, he thought. _This whole thing is useless and badly planned. How could Neliel expect me to understand what's going on?_

Ichigo went to sit down on a sidewalk, leaning back against the wall surrounding a house. His wounds were starting to bleed again. He almost regretted telling his master years ago never to use her healing saliva. Even though it was gross, it probably would've helped his stamina.

He looked up at the sky above him. He seemed to be out in the open, but buildings surrounded him. All the buildings were under Las Noches' giant roof. But there was no roof here. He closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun.

"Hello? Mister Soul Reaper?"

Soul Reaper? Didn't Neliel say that he had to pretend to be a 'Soul Reaper'?

He opened his eyes to see a face hovering over his.

Ichigo jumped up and away to see that a girl was hanging over the edge of the wall to look down at him as he had sat there.

"Jeez, you move fast. Are you scared of me?" she teased. The girl had short, green hair with goggles on top of her head. She wore a strange white and orange bodysuit. Very strange…

"Of course not!" he yelled, annoyed by her question. "Wait… You can see me?"

"Yes," she simply answered.

They were silent for a second. Realizing that she wasn't going to explain why, he asked, "Are you a Soul Reaper? Like me? Because Soul Reapers can see each other, right?"

She looked at him, confused. "Um… No, I'm not a Soul Reaper. I'm a normal person who can see you. I have super spiritual powers," she explained, wiggling her fingers in a creepy way as she still laid on top of the wall on her stomach.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay… Well, since you can see me, I need to get to this place," he said, holding up the slip of paper.

The girl jumped to down to peer at it curiously. "You don't know how to read addresses?" she asked.

_Uh-oh… She suspicious of me_, he thought, looking nervous. _Better think of something quick._

"Um, no. I can remember much of anything, actually. I think I hit my head when I got here from the Soul Society," he lied, trying to sound convincing.

She looked at him strangely, making him think that he said something wrong. Ichigo debated on whether or not he should run and get rid of her.

"Aw! That's so sad!" she cried, getting upset.

"Uh… yeah, it is," Ichigo said. She was starting to creep him out. Her emotions seemed to change so fast, and she was so animated, as she shook her head with tears coming out of her eyes.

"I know!" she suddenly said, getting happy again. Another sudden change of emotion... "I'll help you!"

"R-really?" Ichigo asked. At least she was willing to assist him.

"Yah yah! I'll take you to this address." She took the piece of paper to read it again. The girl flinched for a second, showing concern. _I know this place…_

"Is something up?" Ichigo asked.

"Nope. Let's go!" She started to skip away, humming a tune. Ichigo guessed that he should follow her…

"Oh! Oh yeah!" She stopped very suddenly, making Ichigo jump in surprise. "We can't go anywhere yet!"

"W-why not?"

"Because we don't know each other's names, silly! We're strangers right now! You go first," she happily said, fluttering her eyelashes cutely while waiting in anticipation.

Ichigo looked unamused at her hyperactivity. "I'm Ichigo."

"I'm Kuna Mashiro!" She saluted him. "Call me Mashiro, 'k Ichigo?"

"Whatever…"

She smiled, completely pleased now. "Let's go Berry-tan!"

"Berry-tan?! What is that supposed to mean?!"

"It's your nickname, Berry-tan," she laughed.

"Well, I don't like it!" he argued.

"Oooh, look! Hot sweet potatoes!" Mashiro suddenly said, switching topics in a heartbeat. She ran off towards the sweet potato vendor's stand, shouting, "Let's get some Berry-tan!"

"Stop calling me that!" Ichigo wondered to himself if she was really going to be any help at all.


	5. Chapter 5

((Hi! I'm very sorry that I haven't updated in a long while. Truthfully, my family had a bit of a family tragedy recently, and we're still feeling the effects of it. But I'm going to be back on schedule. Thank you for your patience, and I deeply, truly apologize again.

So I've nearly got the storyline figured out, and what will be happening. This might get pretty long… I can't wait to read your responses over the duration of the story!

So here's the awaited chapter 5! Commence!))

Ichigo hated to admit it, but the sweet potato was pretty good. He had to get somewhere, yet he was eager to finish it. Mashiro stood beside him, happily munching on hers. He couldn't help but stare at her out of the corner of his eye. She was so strange, her reliability a bit questionable. Could he really trust her?

"Let's continue!" Mashiro declared, crumpling up the now-empty sweet potato napkin. She smiled brightly, just standing there.

"Okay," Ichigo agreed, waiting for a few seconds. She stayed perfectly still with that stupid grin on her face for a bit. "And… when do you plan on continuing?"

Mashiro suddenly looked a bit nervous, with a forced smile. "Um… where are we going again?"

Ichigo groaned. He pulled out the slip of paper again. "Here! To wherever this is! Remember now?!"

"Oh! Yes!" She clapped her hands with a pleased look on her face. "Come on! Come with me!" Mashiro suddenly took off down the road.

"Wait!" Ichigo ran after her, angrily. Her energy was a bit hard to handle. But Mashiro said that she would help, and she seemed to be the only person who could see him at the moment. He really had no other choice at the moment.

…

"You have got to be kidding me…" Ichigo complained, looking at the Ramen shop that Mashiro just entered. Stiffly, he went in.

Mashiro had already ordered two bowls of the special, sitting on a stool at the counter.

"Tell me, is this the place on the piece of paper?" Ichigo skeptically asked her. He probably knew the answer already.

"What piece of paper?" she asked with a convincing smile. As if she really had no idea what he was talking about. On second thought, she probably didn't.

"What piece of paper?! What do you mean 'what piece of paper?!'" He slammed his hand on the counter. This girl was so frustrating.

"Oh, that piece of paper. …Nope. This isn't it," she truthfully answered, as if it was not a problem whatsoever.

"… Can I ask why we are here?" he pointedly asked.

"Because it's Monday!"

She was silent after that, just staring at him. Ichigo wondered if that was really supposed to make sense. He was just about ready to quit trying to understand her thought process.

The shop owner came out with two bowls. He placed them both in front of Mashiro, and walked away.

Ichigo was brooding to himself, his arms crossed with a sour look on his face. With a sympathetic look, she pushed one of her bowls sideways and stopped it right in front of him.

Ichigo snapped out of it, looking down at it, then at Mashiro. She already split her chopsticks, rubbing them together.

Hesitantly, he grabbed a pair for himself, then tried to copy what she had done. It broke the wrong way. The end of one of the chopsticks was still stuck to the other one. Mashiro broke out into hysterics, finding his failure hilarious.

"What?! What's so funny?!" He slammed the pieces of wood on the counter.

"Y-you! You don't know how to split chopsticks? Where are you from?" she laughed, kicking her legs childishly a bit.

"I'm from-" he stopped midway.

_Do not let anyone know that you are from Hueco Mundo._

Neliel's instructions rang through his head. Ichigo sighed in defeat.

"Do you have a tummy ache, Berry-tan?" Mashiro suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Ichigo came back to pay attention. He looked down, noticing that he had his hand on his stomach. He felt the wound hurting again, thinking that his movement was subconscious.

"A bit… But it's okay," he sighed.

Mashiro looked sad and unconvinced. After receiving no further answers from her, she went back to eating her ramen. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as he tried to split another pair of chopsticks.

Ichigo growled to himself as they broke again.

Mashiro smiled at how cute he was. She reached over to grab another two pairs. "This is how you do it," she said, handing one to Ichigo. She grabbed the tips and slowly started to pull them apart. They separated cleanly, so Mashiro rubbed them together.

He carefully followed her example, taking the tips and pulling the tips apart. He smiled, seeing them split apart pretty evenly. Ichigo rubbed them together like Mashiro did, then followed her example on eating ramen. Not too long later, they finished up and left the shop.

"Okay, so are we going to that place now?" Ichigo asked her. He was a bit calmer now that he was full.

"Hmmm…. Okay!" Mashiro ran off again, this time in the direction that he needed. Ichigo followed after her, happy that she was finally helping him. He had to do what Master Neliel said if he wanted to get home…

Suddenly, he ran right into Mashiro as she stopped. Falling to the ground as she stared to the side, he asked. "What was that for?!"

"I forgot!" she happily said. Ichigo turned to see what she was staring at.

In the front yard outside of a big building, whole bunches of people, around their age, were partaking in various activities. There were games, cafes, food stands, and other little areas where visitors stopped by.

"What's this place?" he asked.

"It's a school fair! I forgot that it was going on today!"

"We're not going in there, are we?!" Ichigo was definitely at the end of his wits. This girl was utterly infuriating.

"Of course, Berry-tan!" Mashiro grabbed his hand and pulled him up to his feet. She dragged his through the gates.

For the next half-an-hour, as it grew darker, Mashiro brought him to each booth, ordering food and playing games. She didn't even notice Ichigo's mood sinking even further and further in annoyance. Whenever Mashiro passed by people, they could swear they felt their moods drop a tiny bit for no apparent reason. Of course, they couldn't see Ichigo.

Slowly, Mashiro felt more resistance as she pulled him around. Eventually, she took the time to look behind her. "Berry-tan… Hurry up! It's going to end soon," she complained, pouting. But suddenly, she looked confused.

Her new friend was unresponsive. His eyes had gone blank, as if he was just some doll. He looked slightly down to the ground, making no movements on his own. Ichigo made to motion of recognition as she circled him, trying to figure out what was wrong.

Mashiro waved her hand in front of his face, trying to get his attention. She was totally unable to get any reaction from him, no matter how much she poked or prodded him.

"What's wrong, Berry-tan? Are you sad because it's ending? Don't be sad! Come on, let's go over there," she reassured, pointing at a booth with some carnival games. She dragged him over. Ichigo walked slowly without her help, but would not move on his own free will.

Mashiro took him to several more places, watching him carefully. Her attempts to cheer him up weren't working at all.

The festival was drawing to a close. People had already started to pack up as the two walked back out of the walls, hand-in-hand.

She looked at him sadly, his face devoid of any emotion.

"Oh, I know! How about dessert? Are you upset because we ate stuff and didn't get any dessert?" she asked. Of course, he didn't reply. But Mashiro thought she had found the answer anyways.

She pulled him off in the direction of her favorite café.

…

Mashiro sat across from Ichigo. He made no attempt to eat the parfait that she had bought for him. She ate a bit of her own, but then stopped for a second.

"Every eat one of these?" Mashiro asked him. Her usual perky voice seemed a bit sadder now. Leaving her spoon in her dish, she reached for his. Mashiro scooped a bit of ice cream out of his bowl, and held it up to his mouth.

Nothing.

Leaning on one hand, she gently shoved the spoon into his mouth. He actually swallowed it. A bit more hopeful, she continued to spoon-feed Ichigo.

When his parfait was all gone, she smiled happily, waiting for him to say something. Cutely shoving her hands into her lap while cutely fluttering her eyes, she waited. But as nothing happened, her shoulders slowly sank. Her smile disappeared.

She took his hand and pulled him back outside. Mashiro felt like something was lodged in her throat.

Looking at Ichigo, she asked, "What's wrong, Berry-tan?" She cracked a smile, even as he didn't answer her.

"I'm sorry, I was just having a lot of fun with you… I'm sorry that I didn't take you to that place. I'll take you now, okay?" she reassured. He blankly stared at the ground. "… Are you mad at me, Ichigo-kun?"

Mashiro started to tear up. Suddenly, a roar could be heard in the distance. Mashiro looked off in that direction, a tear running down her cheek. "A hollow," she quietly said, recognizing the sound anywhere.

Mashiro noticed that Ichigo had turned to look in that direction, too. "Berry-tan?!"

He took off in the direction in a split second. Mashiro quickly followed behind him. "Wait! Where are you going?! Ichigo-kun, it's dangerous! Stop! Ichigo-kun!!"

They came to a halt in the middle of a street. Sure enough, there was a Hollow about the size of a large bull standing there with a hungry look in its eyes. Its attention turned to Ichigo and Mashiro as they stood there.

Mashiro looked a bit afraid. But it was fear for her new friend, not of the creature. She noticed that Ichigo was staring at the Hollow, as if waiting for it to strike.

"Berry-tan, let's get out of here," she quickly said, tugging on his arm. "You can't fight it without a zanpakuto. And you have a tummy-ache, remember?"

Suddenly, the beast ran straight at them! To protect her new friend, she gathered the energy to fight. But before she could take action, Ichigo ran forward to meet the beast!

Frozen in place, she watched as Ichigo use one hand to stop the Hollow in place. With one hand on its forehead, he wickedly smiled.

Before it knew what was happening, it felt its soul being pulled out of its body. A thin white trail of his essence was being sucked into Ichigo's mouth. He feasted on the spirit of the Hollow, as it slowly started to disappear.

Mashiro watched in horror as Ichigo ripped off its mask and started to eat it hungrily. The white mask may have been the size of a refrigerator's freezer door, but he made short work of it.

All traces of the Hollow were gone now, and Ichigo just stood there.

Hesitantly, Mashiro called out, "I-Ichigo-kun?"

He looked up, now brought to his attention. Ichigo looked over his shoulder as if nothing had happened. He was the same as a while before. "Mashiro-chan? What's wrong?"

She stayed silent, trembling a bit. What was going on? What happened with that Hollow? Why was he suddenly back to normal? Should she stay or leave?

A few voices could be heard in the distance. Mashiro could hear that they were Soul Reapers, based on what they were talking about.

"What's going on?" Ichigo asked. He turned to start to walk to Mashiro, but then suddenly paused. Going pale, a bit of blood spurted out from his wound, darkening his black robe even further. With a short gasp and a bit of blood running out of his mouth, Ichigo collapsed.

Before he could hit the ground, Mashiro jumped forward to catch him. She slowly lowered him down, his head on her lap.

"Ichigo… Ichigo-kun! Ichigo-kun!" She tried to keep him awake. She lightly shook him as he shuddered.

"Ma… Mashi-" he was cut off as he lost consciousness, looking up at her with pathetic eyes.

She decided to ignore what happened with the Hollow. He was her friend, and had treated her nicely even when she was being annoying! He was the same person as before, now.

And he needed help.

Mashiro started to panic as she heard the Soul Reapers getting closer. If he needed to go where the paper said, he was most likely trying to run away. She tried to think of what to do. He seemed to be too hurt to be moved by someone smaller than him. Her movements would be unsteady from carrying him, which could kill him.

Suddenly, Mashiro heard what sounded like wood hit the ground behind her. She turned her head to see who was there. Her eyes widened as she realized who had come up behind her.

Urahara Kisuke.


End file.
